However, the reality exists that sport is played by human beings (generally). And those human beings still retain their individual biases, convictions and discriminatory tendencies.

So when a player was allegedly murdered on the football field, in what was seen by many as a racially-motivated attack, for an instant we need to think that a foul was not simply a foul.

He takes the option pitch from the quarterback and accelerates downfield, beating three defenders to the corner, blazing down the sideline. There are two men to beat. The first one dives and gets him by the ankles and knocks him out of bounds. But Cannon keeps running. When does the referee blow the whistle? Who knows. The film is silent. Cannon stays on his feet, still churning toward the end zone even though he’s out of bounds, and the second defender slides in and undercuts him. Cannon goes down, hitting the ground with his right shoulder and rolling onto his back.

All along, a third defender has been trailing the play. He wears number 70. He looks very big and very strong. He was one of the three defenders Cannon beat to the corner, but he never gave up. When the first defender knocks Cannon out of bounds, Number 70 trails by nearly five yards. He does not slow down. When the second defender hits Cannon late, 70 keeps coming. There is a moment when Cannon is down, when it looks as if 70 could change his mind. He could pull up, or change direction, or hurdle over Cannon’s body. But he is locked on the target.

Even so, his trajectory puts him in the best position to knock down a runner who is standing up. This is what makes the hit so flagrant. It is not one fluid motion. His body does not move in a straight line. Instead Number 70 contorts himself so as to collide more directly with Cannon. His body takes on the shape of an arch. His feet are on the ground, his rear end is in the air, and his torso bends sharply downward. He leads with his helmet. At the last instant his feet leave the ground and his body straightens. He is, at last, a missile, smashing headfirst into Cannon’s head, pinning it to the earth. Cannon’s left arm jerks upward, as if by reflex, and then the film cuts away.

This is the story of the death of Speedy Cannon, as told by Sports Illustrated in a longform piece on their site. The year was 1972 and the scene was Alabama. Race was a much a factor in society as it ever has been. Was it a factor in the death of Speedy Cannon? Read the piece at SI and decide for yourself… either way, seeing true longform journalism like this is a rarity in the current society of click-baiting and scandal.

Read the whole piece, complete with videos and a frame-by-frame reel of the play in question here.

[This is another play from earlier in the game]:

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The good news is that Wilson did beat the marathon world record by 15 seconds with a time of 2:03:23.

Not only is it bad enough that this dinkleberry committed this atrocity but he was wearing a shirt advertising a website that connects ‘gentlemen’ with ‘working ladies’.

Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich, congrats on setting the new benchmark for the marathon. I really hope the infantile mud-sucker didn’t rain too much on your parafe and that got what he deserved when the FIve-O caught up with him.

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Aaron Hernandez arrested on June 26 2013 for the murder of Odin Lloyd, a linebacker for a semi-pro football team. Hernandez is the latest in what seems like a large list of NFL players in hot water. But what about the other sports? Here is a list of other sportspeople who have been charged with

Aaron Hernandez charged with murder

murder.

In 1994 OJ Simpson was charged with the murder of his ex-wife and her friend after what is most likely the slowest police pursuit in history. Turns out the gloves didn’t fit and OJ was acquitted. In a twist of fate, OJ finally found himself behind bars for stealing memorabilia of himself.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Rae Carruth who was the first active NFL player to be charged with murder, arranged for his pregnant girlfriend to get killed in 1999. Carruth would ultimately be convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and is currently in prison. The child (a boy) survived, born ten weeks early and now is confined to a wheel chair suffering from cerebral palsy.

Linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens, Ray Lewis was charged with the murder of two men on the street outside an Atlanta bar in 2000. When the murder charges were dropped, Lewis pleads guilty to the misdemeanour of obstruction of justice. Lewis went on to win the Superbowl in 2013 before hanging up the boots.

In 2011, former NFLer, Eric Napoli was convicted of first degree murder in the shooting death of William McLaughlin. McLaughlin was sentenced to life in prison.

Former St Louis Cardinals player, Robert Rozier joined “the Brotherhood”, a secret group that required the killing of a “white devil” and returning with a body part as proof to join. Rozier would admit to killing seven white people to please “the Brotherhood”. After agreeing to testify, he was sentenced to 22 years but released into the Witness Protection Program after ten years only to be sent back to prison again for writing bad checks.
Rubin “Hurricane” Carter was charged with the triple murder at the Lafayette Bar & Grill in 1966. Convicted in 1967 Carter had his conviction overturned 19 years later. But we all knew that. We have seen the movie and have heard the Bob Dylan song.

‘Blade Runner’ Oscar Pistorius became the butt of many internet jokes after he was charged with shooting his girlfriend in his home in February 2013. Pistorius’ trial is schedules to sit in August 2013.

Oscar Pistorius has been charged with the shooting murder of his girlfriend

Retired Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher Hiroshi Ogawa was sentenced to life in prison in 2005. After finding himself heavily in debt Ogawa burglarized a house and drowned the housekeeper.

In 2010, former NBA star Jayson Williams was sentenced to five years behind bars after pleading guilty to the fatal shooting of his limo driver in 2002. Originally charged with murder, Williams’ guilty plea was to aggravated assault.

80’s skateboarding legend Mark Rogowski raped and killed a friend of an ex-girlfriend before burying her in the desert in 1991. ‘Gator’ Rogowski was denied parole in 2011 but will come before the parole board again in 2018.

Over to Ice Hockey, in 2004 Mike Danton was charged for conspiracy to commit murder after hiring an undercover police officer to kill his agent. What a tool. After five years in prison Danton found a new home in Sweden playing hockey.

Patrick Fairs, former Illawarra Hawks import in Australia’s National Basketball League was charged with murder after strangling his girlfriend in 2006 in Texas. Shortly after the murder Fairs gave away his pool table and trampoline to neighbours before fleeing to California. Fairs was arrested in October 2012 and is currently waiting for trial.

Former NBA player, Javaris Crittenton was charged with killing some dude in 2011. Police allege that Crittenton meant to kill someone else who had apparently robbed him earlier in the year. The five-o finally caught up with Crittenton in California who extradited him back to Atlanta.

 

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Gaedel, a three foot seven in actor was hired by then St Louis Browns owner, Bill Veeck, to jump out of a paper-mache cake in between the August 19 1951 double header against  the Detroit Lions in a cross promotion to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the American League and advertising for Falstaff Brewery. Veeck, who was well known for making publicity stunts, had secretly signed Gaedel.

At the bottom of the first innings of the second game of the double header, pinch hitter,  Gaedel, cheekily wearing number 1/8 on his back strolled to the plate. Umpire Ed Hurley called time. Once Veeck and Browns manager, Zack Taylor showed Hurley a copy of Gaedel’s contract and a team roster, Gaedel was allowed to bat.

Adopting a crouching stance, Gaedel, who was threatened with death if he swung has a strike zone rumoured to be one and a half inches

Now here is one for Equal Opportunity. The next day American League President Will Harridge accused Veeck of making a mockery of the game and voided Gaedel’s contract. Major League Baseball also struck Gaedel from its records books.hes. Tiger’s catcher, Bob Swift took his stance behind on his knees offered a swift piece of advice to Bob Cain who was chuckling on the mound. After two unsuccessful high attempts at a strike, Cain, giving up threw two lobs to walk Gaedel. Gaedel, playing up to the crowd took his base to a standing ovation and was subsequently replaced by a pinch runner.

A year later Gaedel was reinstated and today is one of a few to record an on-base percentage of 1.000 and one of five players to have been walked in their only career at bat. On June 18 1961, 36 year old Gaedel suffered a heart attack after he was followed home and beaten. Bob Cain was the only person affiliated with Major League Baseball to attend Gaedel’s funeral.

Veeck later proclaimed Gaedel was “by golly, the best darn midget who ever played big-league ball”

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